At the age of 38, LeBron James is still one of the sharpest players on the court. He’s seen everything every offense and defensive set there is to run in the NBA. That helped him last night in the finals 15 seconds of the fourth quarter. James was able to read what Draymond Green was trying to do on offense. He saw Green making a pass to the corner and prompted his teammate to be in the exact spot the ball would be.
In the Lakers’ 104-101 win vs the Warriors last night, James finished with a team-high 27 points and 6 assists. He also grabbed 9 rebounds and had one block. His biggest play of the night came in the closing seconds of the first half. LeBron was crucial in helping the Lakers get a stop on the Warriors’ final possession of the game.
Masterful work from the King 👑🧠
(h/t @Mykel_U) pic.twitter.com/WII1lVSw12
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 9, 2023
LeBron James was directing the Lakers’ defense on their final possession of the game
The Warriors were down 104-101 with 15.0 seconds left in the fourth quarter of Game 4, with possession of the ball. Curry inbounded the ball to Draymond Green who faked a pass to Steph Curry on the exchange. Green then drove down the right side of the baseline and threw an ill-advised pass to the corner.
While this was all going on, LeBron James was directing the defense of the Lakers and had them all in perfect position. He told them to switch when they needed to and to stay with their man as well. James’ veteran IQ shinned on that final possession for the Warriors and he knew exactly what they were trying to do.
LeBron saw that Green was trying to find Klay Thompson in the corner for a three. He had Anthony Davis quickly turn around in the corner and the ball ended up right in his hands. Green’s pass was intercepted by the Lakers and that’s how Golden State went on to lose Game 4. The Warriors now have the daunting task of being down 3-1 in this series.
